Manage your subscription

Bacteria may survive temperatures hot enough to melt lead

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is claimed to be astonishingly resistant to heat

SCIMAT / Science Photo Library

By Colin Barras

Life can survive inside a furnace heated to more than 400°C. At least, that’s the extraordinary claim being made by one group of researchers. However, others say such an unexpected conclusion will need to be supported by stronger evidence.